A Little Bit of Relaxation
by kmf
Summary: Heero scowled; the man to man chat was now going to be escalated to a man to pervert beating... A one-shot response to Iris Anthe's 'massage' challenge. Complete!


A belated response to Iris Anthe's Massage challenge! (er, only two or three months late _)  
  
A Little Bit of Relaxation  
  
by kmf  
  
Rating: PG13 Warning: A little limey in parts  
  
Relena's neck hurt. She had been reading a document, important but boring, and had hunched over her desk in an effort to concentrate on the wavering words. The sentences were so long that they formed paragraphs in their own right. They were so dull that they just would not sink into her brain. She found that after reading to the bottom of each page she had retained precisely zero of the words meaning and would have to reread, her lips murmuring each word, in an effort to understand what the document was about.  
  
At last she had finished and threw herself back into her chair, slouching and sighing in relief that the task was over. And also wincing as the muscles in her neck and upper back protested. She tilted her head from one side to the other in an effort to stretch the kinks out, unable to suppress the wince that each movement caused her.  
  
"You need a massage," Hilde commented.  
  
Relena was startled by the girl's voice, but hid it by stretching her arms above her head as she peered at Hilde who stood in the doorway. Hilde grinned at her, not fooled by Relena's nonchalant act, and strode into the office.  
  
"I need a holiday," Relena countered, glaring at the paper that was scattered over her desk.  
  
Hilde looked at the documents, sympathy evident on her face. The job that Relena had taken on was not something that Hilde envied. Being stuck behind a desk reading tedious papers was something akin to hell as far as she was concerned, but Relena seemed to take it in her stride. Although today her face was looking a little pale compared to everyone else who managed to get out into the sunshine for at least part of the day.  
  
"Can you take one?" Hilde unbuttoned her preventer jacket before sitting down opposite Relena in a well-padded chair.  
  
Relena sighed before gesturing at the desk that was nearly invisible due to paper and several cardboard storage boxes that littered the floor. "Not at the moment," she said regret evident in her voice, "and at this rate probably not for a couple of years."  
  
Hilde smiled again, "Then you need a little bit of relaxation in the form of a massage," she repeated, "I know what you are going to say: you don't have the time," Hilde forestalled Relena's objections holding up a hand, "but you don't have to take much time off. In fact, there are firms that visit you at work and give you a massage in the comfort of your own office. You could do it in your lunch hour if you insist on not taking any time off."  
  
Relena blinked. "What lunch hour?" she asked giving Hilde a small smile, before slouching back into her chair once more.  
  
Hilde chortled, "And here I was thinking that we had agreed to do lunch today," her eyes twinkled mischievously at Relena's mortified expression.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Relena exclaimed, standing and piling the documents into some sort of order on her desk, her brow furrowing in obvious exasperation, "Was that today, now?"  
  
Hilde's laughter increased, "Actually, it was for an hour ago," she said lifting her wrist to take note of the time, "and I am back on duty in five minutes."  
  
Relena sunk back into her chair, her head bowed. In a very small voice she murmured her apologies, "I really have no idea where the time went," she said, "How can I make it up to you?"  
  
Getting to her feet, Hilde rebuttoned her jacket grinning to show that she was not upset at her friend. "Your penance is to have a lunch with me tomorrow, here in your office."  
  
Relena's eyes narrowed sensing what was coming. "Hilde...," she warned.  
  
Hilde's grin widened. "Just you, me and a young masseur I just happen to know," she darted to the door, looking back over her shoulder as she slipped out, "It's a date then?"  
  
Relena's shoulders slumped in defeat and she nodded.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Heero could feel Duo's eyes upon him as they sat opposite each other in their shared offices. It was a great annoyance that despite being given the position of deputy head of security and the honorary title of Major, he still had to share an office with others. Une had given two reasons for it; the first being budget constraints and the second being a need for Heero to refine his people skills.  
  
Both reasons were valid; individual offices were a luxury that ESUN could not afford so soon after the war, not when some of the population were still homeless and without clean water supplies. And Heero was the first to admit that he was sorely lacking on interpersonal skills. But just why he had to sit so close to Duo was beyond him. If it wasn't doughnut crumbs and daubs of jam finding their way onto Heero's pristine paper work, it was inane jokes and lurid suggestions as to how to improve Heero's sex life.  
  
Today, however, Duo was being exceptionally quiet. Heero would feel his fellow officer's eyes upon him, but as soon as he looked up, Duo would look away; out the window, at the ceiling, even, unusually, at his own paperwork. Anywhere but at Heero. And it was annoying. Even more annoying that Duo's usual chatter.  
  
Which was saying something.  
  
Finally, Heero could take it no more. He stood up, walked around the desk and stood beside Duo, his arms folded and his eyes narrowed in his traditional death glare reserved for enemies and baka allies. It was a good glare, intimidating. Heero knew because he had practised it long and hard in his bathroom mirror, perfecting it until he knew it would reduce whomever it was directed at into a quivering mass of nerves. But it only worked if the person it was directed at was looking at him. And Duo had his head down studiously studying his reports as he had never done before.  
  
Heero reached down and grabbed onto Duo's braid, pulling it vertically so that Duo had no option but to get to his feet or loose his precious hair. Duo's hands reached up to try and extract his hair from Heero's grip, as he angrily protested the attack. However, once he looked at Heero and saw the glare that Heero was giving him, the protests came to an abrupt halt. Heero resisted the urge to smirk; now that Duo had seen his expression he was giving it the reaction that it deserved. But instead of giving into the urge to smile, he made his mouth grate out one word.  
  
"What?"  
  
Duo stopped squirming, his face pulling into his 'I'm completely innocent of any disaster that might just have happened in my presence' look. For a while both men were motionless, staring at each other, Duo's braid still dangling from Heero's fist. A minute went by and still they stared at each other, eyes unblinking and unwavering. Then, when Heero began to feel his own eyeballs dry to the point that they demanded the soothing lubrication of a closed eyelid, he jerked on Duo's braid. Hard.  
  
"Ow!" Duo complained, his eyes screwing shut from the pain of his injured scalp. Then they widened realising that Heero had caused him to lose the staring contest. He pulled his braid out of Heero's grasp all the while mumbling complaints about what a cheat Heero was.  
  
"What?" Heero repeated, ignoring Duo's look of reproach.  
  
Duo sighed, his shoulders hunching up. He sat back in his chair, slouching down as much as the ill padded piece of furniture would allow. "You better sit down," he said quietly.  
  
Heero did not sit down. He folded his arms and glared harder at Duo. He was curious as to what news that Duo had to impart; just how dire was it that caused the usually unshutupable Duo Maxwell to silence. But he refused to show his curiosity, instead he hid it behind his comfortable mask of indifference.  
  
Duo, realising that Heero was not going to sit down, sighed again. "Its Relena," he began.  
  
As soon as he mentioned her name, Heero felt his pulse begin to race. Had something happened? Was something wrong? Had Duo discovered some plot against her life?  
  
No, Relena was safe. If any plot had been hatching against her, Heero would have been first to know. He always had her safety paramount in his mind, he checked on her constantly, memorised her diary and knew exactly where she was at all times. And with whom. After all, it was his job. He was in charge of her security, responsible for organising the men and women who guarded her from a distance day and night  
  
Duo, unaware of the thoughts that were racing through Heero's mind behind his stony exterior, continued. "She is having massages," he said wincing a little as if expecting Heero to suddenly explode into a fit of rage.  
  
Heero remained perfectly still, or almost perfectly still. One eyebrow raised slightly.  
  
"...and?" he questioned.  
  
Duo blinked. "She is having massages. Massages!" he rubbed the back of his still sore head with one hand, "Its all Hilde's fault. She thought that they would help Relena relax a little, ease her stress."  
  
Heero uncrossed his arms and walked back to his chair. He sat down perplexed by Duo's reaction. "I know," Heero said, "I vetted the company that Hilde chose and I checked the background, qualifications and character of the masseur. Hilde was right. Relena needed a little stress management and massage is the perfect way for her to achieve it."  
  
Duo's mouth opened. Then shut. Then opened again. "Buddy, what are you saying? You approve of this? You approve of her being touched up by some stranger? "  
  
"A neck and upper back massage whilst seated at her desk is not being 'touched up'" Heero said, his voice becoming tinged with a faint hint of annoyance, "And your training as a pilot ought to have encompassed the healing properties of a well executed massage."  
  
Duo suddenly grinned, "Yes, it did. So tell me, why aren't you giving the lady a massage rather than leaving it to some sweaty palmed stranger?"  
  
Heero felt more comfortable now that Duo was smiling, even though it was a goading smile. He did not respond to Duo, how could he? How could he say that if he allowed himself to touch Relena's neck, to caress her shoulders, he would be unable to stop touching her. The thought of her soft and pliant under his hands was enough to bring him out in a sweat. He cleared his throat as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair; his uniform trousers were suddenly a little too constricting.  
  
"Margaret Dyson is competent at her job. I would not describe her as a sweaty palmed stranger taking advantage of Relena," Heero said trying to get his mind off the image of Relena's naked back glistening with oil.  
  
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Well, you know best!" he said, slouching back in his own chair and lifting his feet to the table. He ignored Heero's pointed glare, instead crossed his feet and put his hands behind his head. "And I am sure you are quite comfortable with the fact that Relena has booked a full body massage with Jon Paul; a man that Hilde forever goes on about how talented with his hands he is."  
  
...full body massage...?  
  
...Jon Paul...?.  
  
Heero blinked.  
  
...talented hands...?  
  
"What the..?" Heero demanded, believing for a moment that he had heard incorrectly. He had access to every bit of electronic data that Relena kept, and at no point had he seen any reference to a full body massage with a Jon Paul. Heero ground his teeth at the mental image of a tall muscular figure of a man with a French accent, which he knew women considered sexy, bending over his Relena and touching her intimately whilst Relena groaned in delight.  
  
Duo had frozen at the sudden rage that had shown in Heero's eyes, and slowly lifted his legs from the table and sat up straight. He had only just managed to do so before Heero leapt over the table, scattering stationery in all directions as he did so, and grabbed him by the collar.  
  
"What?" Heero repeated, nose to nose with Duo.  
  
With the very little air that Duo was allowed to get to his lungs, he squeaked. "Full body massage. Tomorrow. Four pm."  
  
Heero shook his head. "Impossible. I would know about it."  
  
Duo took advantage of Heero's distraction and twisted out of his grip, shoving Heero so that he stumbled back from Duo a couple of paces. Heero's fists clenched, lifting slightly, and Duo took on a defensive pose watching Heero closely trying to anticipate any attack the man might have planned.  
  
"The appointment was a verbal one. Jon Paul has been vetted, Hilde goes to him all the time," Duo could not help the jealousy that crept into his voice, "Relena has arranged for Jon Paul to go to her house tomorrow afternoon. In the slot that has been reserved for her to cram for the conference next week."  
  
Heero's fists dropped as Duo talked, his head slumped a little. Relena had managed to find a hole in his surveillance of her; he could not monitor appointments that were not recorded. Perhaps it was time to start tapping her rooms; if she was going to get sneaky then so should he.  
  
Duo, seeing that Heero had relaxed a little, stood down himself and walked closer to his colleague. Patting him on the shoulder he said quietly, "You aren't going to let her, are you?"  
  
"If this is what she wants, then I cannot stop her," Heero said grimly, "I will just double check that Jon Paul is bonefide."  
  
Duo slapped himself on the forehead. "No!" he said sharply, "You have to stop her! This will just be the beginning - next it will be 'Jon Paul does this really well', 'Jon Paul has magical fingers', 'why cant you rub me there like Jon Paul does?'"  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow at Duo, who was obviously reliving conversations between himself and Hilde.  
  
"I'm not rubbing Relena anywhere," Heero said firmly, "there will be nothing to compare,"  
  
"And if you let him touch her, there probably never will be!" Duo shouted, "I'm telling you, that man is a menace. If you let Relena within five feet of him and his 'magic fingers' you will loose any chance you ever had with her!"  
  
They stood staring at each other for a moment or two, before Duo clasped Heero by both shoulders, "Do the right thing, buddy," he said, "If you don't, you will regret it for the rest of your life."  
  
Duo gave Heero's shoulders one last pat and turned leaving the room. Heero remained silent and motionless, his arms by his side, his fists clenched tightly. Slowly, they relaxed as Heero came to a decision. He nodded once to no-one in particular before uttering his resolve.  
  
"Mission accepted."  
  
* * * * *  
  
It had been a while since Heero had infiltrated the Peacecraft Mansion and as he crouched amidst bushes in the garden he felt mildly reminiscent. It had been too long since he last donned his black stretch combat trousers, and black long sleeved t-shirt. Around his waist was belted what could only be described as a utility belt, a clever bit of fabric which concealed various micro tools that could be handy when breaking and entering.  
  
As he crouched in the shadows that Relena's well stocked garden provided, he allowed himself to inhale and savour the summer scents. Roses in full bloom tinged the air, along with honeysuckle and the heady perfume of jasmine. It was not so long ago that he would have had no idea what each flower was named, but since the end of the war and since he had become Relena's protector he had learned about what she held dear. Her garden was her one true pleasure, a place where she could relax as she tended to plants. She nurtured them as carefully as she did the people who looked up to her for leadership. People often disappointed her, unable to settle into peaceful roles, but her flowers always rewarded her ministrations by providing her scent and colour.  
  
Shaking his head slightly, Heero cleared his head of the heady fragrance. Now was not the time to become hypnotised by the warmth of the summer sun and the scents of Relena's garden.  
  
He scanned the edge of the building. He knew the guard's timetable well. After all, he had originally designed the security system and routine that guarded the house. He knew that they walked the perimeter every fifteen minutes and that security cameras monitored 24 hours. There ought to be dogs too, but Heero knew that Relena had requested their removal; she didn't like the idea of anyone accidentally wandering into the estate and being bitten by an unrestrained animal. Heero had to smile a little at this; Relena always cared more about others than her own safety.  
  
Daytime was the best time to gain access to the mansion, despite the difficulties that the broad daylight caused. Most of the members of the security team, despite what Heero instructed them, would believe that night posed the greatest danger. He smirked a little, squatting down further as a guard walked by at the precise time he anticipated. Heero clicked the stopwatch on the wristwatch and waited as the numbers quickly climbed.  
  
....20 seconds...  
  
...40 seconds....  
  
...60 seconds...  
  
Heero tensed, pulling out a small device from his utility belt that resembled a simple pager. Several buttons adorned the side of it, and at the front a small LED screen glowed green. It was a clever little device of his own creation, designed to interrupt the images sent from any surveillance camera within 50 meters of where the unit was deployed. Manipulating the buttons he set a timer to read three minutes; more than enough time for him to gain entrance to Relena's room. At the end of those three minutes, the camera surveying this side of the Peacecraft mansion would start to function again; Heero wanted to punch a hole in the Relena's security, but did not want to leave it open for any others to follow him in.  
  
..90 seconds...  
  
He pressed a button causing the screen the flash up with the words 'active', then gently placed the device down in the shrubbery. A quick glance about him confirmed that the guards had moved on. Swiftly he ran from the bushes out into the open, darting to the bottom of the ivy that grew up to the balcony of Relena's room.  
  
It was an obvious route up to her bedroom, a route that he had used in the past when he felt the need to visit her. It was also a route that he had booby-trapped so that no one else could use it for malicious purposes. Hidden by the plants many tendrils were lengths of razor wire; a nasty surprise if an intruder managed to get as far as this. And Heero had no fear that Relena would accidentally cut herself by sneaking out of the mansion by this leafy path; she was not the type to run away from her duties and responsibilities. Besides, Heero knew that she had a chronic fear of heights and would never attempt the three-story climb to the ground below.  
  
Heero started his ascent carefully, his leather gloves providing protection from the rough vines and his memory of where the wire was placed providing protection from the razors slicing his flesh open. A glance at his wristwatch revealed that he had one minute until the camera became operational again. Frowning, he increased his pace disliking the way his lungs began to protest and his muscles began to burn. It had been too long since last he pushed himself like this and he promised himself as he dragged his body over the stone balcony that he would intensify his training as soon as possible.  
  
Crouching down with his back to the wall of the building, he glanced to his left through the glass of the french doors that opened into Relena's room before flattening himself once again against the wall. The room appeared to be empty. He looked again, longer this time and confirmed that there were no occupants. Unzipping another section of his utility belt he pulled out a micro notebook. Opening the device he started typing commands as quickly as he could given that he was forced to type using only his index fingers due to the size of the keyboard. He had the advantage here of knowing the passwords for the alarms that protected the doors to Relena's rooms and worked quickly remotely accessing the programs that ran them.  
  
He grunted in displeasure when he discovered that the alarms were not even activated. He could not begin to recall the number of times he had asked, instructed, demanded Relena to set the alarms. And still, she was not doing so. Lifting his hand, he tried the handle of the door. Heero scowled as it turned and the door opened slightly. His hunch had been correct. Not only had she not turned on the alarms, she had not even locked the door to her bedroom. She was in for a serious talk when next he saw her.  
  
Pushing the door open, Heero rolled in keeping low, then pushed the door gently closed again. His eyes darted around the room quickly surveying his surroundings. Relena's large bed was to his right, its flower embroidered cover smoothed with precision, and four large fat pillows supporting the bear that he had given her for her birthday. He grinned a little; he already knew that she kept the toy close to her at night, but the visual reminder gave him an odd feeling of possession. As if by the fact that she held the bear close at night mean that he owned her.  
  
Heero crawled away from the window towards the bed. At its edge he stood up and moved toward the head of the bed, his fingers gently touching the pillows which cradled her head a night. It was a ridiculously large bed for such a small woman. He groaned a little at the image that suddenly popped into his head of Relena sprawled and vulnerable in the bed, her arms flung over her head and her legs slightly apart making her so...accessible. Clenching his fists, Heero turned back to the mission at hand.  
  
His eyebrow raised as he saw new items of furniture in the room that he had not noticed before. There was a masseurs couch, draped with towels, an oval hole at one end in which the person receiving the massage would put their head so that their spine was in the correct position. To one side of it was a little trolley with numerous bottles of carrier and essential oils ready for use. On the lower shelf a small cd player sat ready, and beside the table was a screen, presumably there to give Relena privacy as she changed.  
  
Heero was glaring at the table when he heard the faint click of Relena's door being opened. Without hesitation, he moved sliding into the space under Relena's bed breathing a small sigh of relief when he found that she had not used the area for storage. The valance had only just settled when he heard footsteps enter. Two sets. Once was definitely Relena, the click of her heels against the wooden floor distinctively hers to his ears. The second he did not recognise, but he knew from the heaviness and gait of the tread that it was male and probably Jon Paul.  
  
"Please get undressed to a level that you are comfortable and then lie face down here," a heavy French accent jarred Heero's ears making him clench his fists once again. The voice continued, "It would be easier for me if you are completely naked. Once on the bench, please cover yourself with towels and then call me to come through."  
  
A scraping noise reached Heero's ears and Jon Paul moved something, probably the screen.  
  
"Certainly," Relena's voice replied, calm and assured.  
  
Heero's nails almost cut the palms of his hands. Getting undressed for a stranger obviously wasn't a problem for her. Her footsteps sounded closer to the bed and Heero froze, wondering if he had left some clue to his presence. He flinched as one of her high heeled shoes narrowly missed his head as she carelessly kicked them off her feet. She mumbled in irritation at having sent one shoe under her bed, and Heero braced himself for discovery quickly trying to think of excuses as to why he was lurking under her bed in the middle of the afternoon. But then, she padded away to the bathroom shutting the door behind her and locking it with a firm click; the lure of a massage was obviously more important to her than recovering her shoe. Heero grinned as she locked the door, at least she had taken on board some of his defensive training and wasn't going to strip down behind the flimsy screen.  
  
Jon Paul started to whistle giving away his location. He was close. Too close. Any male who was that close to Relena's bed was a threat as far as Heero was concerned. And it was time to terminate this threat.  
  
Heero moved forward on his elbows until his head was level with the edge of the bed. Lifting the valance up slightly he saw his opponent's feet just in front of him. Jon Paul seemed to be examining Relena's bed. Outrage welled up inside Heero and without hesitation he reached out, grabbed the masseur by the ankles and pulled. Sharply.  
  
Jon Paul gave a startled exclamation and toppled backwards. His head impacted with the floor and he lay still. Heero slid out from under the bed and examined his opponent. He was out cold, but his pulse was strong and regular. Heero opened another compartment on his utility belt and pulled out a syringe, preloaded with sedative and capped. This he injected swiftly into the man's upper thigh, through the material of his trousers.  
  
Stage one complete. Heero allowed himself a congratulatory smirk. There was no way that this man was going to get his hands on Relena. He moved onto stage two, which involved extraction of the man. Not the easiest of tasks, but do-able. And once Jon Paul woke up and they had a man to man chat, he was sure Jon Paul would never bother Relena again.  
  
Unfortunately, it seemed that the fates had other plans. No sooner had he started to smirk, did he hear the bathroom door lock turn. His anticipation of how long Relena would take to get ready had been off. By a lot. Grimacing, he grabbed Jon Paul by the shoulder and shoved him under Relena's bed, but had no time to slide under himself. The door opened and Relena emerged, her head bowed and hidden by the fall of her hair. She was wearing a white towelling bathrobe, her feet were bare, and she padded over to the table without looking anywhere other than the floor.  
  
Heero breathed a sigh of relief as she went behind the screen without looking his direction. But then his breath caught again. The screen was set up in such a way as the light from the window silhouetted her form on the fabric of the screen. He watched, his mouth falling open, as she pulled open her robe and slid it from her shoulders. She turned her profile to him revealing the shape of her breasts and the curve of her bottom as she climbed up onto the couch. Heero swallowed then tore his eyes away from her figure. He glared at her bed, directing his rage at the man who lay unconscious under it. That pervert had moved the screen on purpose so that it gave Relena a sense of privacy when in fact it revealed a lot more than Heero had ever hoped to see. Heero scowled; the man to man chat was now going to be escalated to a man to pervert beating.  
  
"I'm ready!"  
  
Relena's voice was soft but clear. And Heero's heart stopped. If no one appeared in the next thirty seconds, Relena was sure to get suspicious. She would get up from the couch (don't think of think of her uncovered breasts), she would pull on her robe and she would come around the screen and find him. He could abort the mission, Jon Paul was incapacitated at the moment and unlikely to feel well enough to touch Relena when he woke up. Heero could exit the room swiftly, retracing his steps down the ivy. He glanced at his watch. The timing was wrong; the guards would be doing another sweep around the building now and the chances of being caught were high.  
  
"Jon Paul?" Relena's voice was sounding concerned.  
  
Heero's instincts for self-preservation kicked in. He coughed once and clicked the play button on the cd player. Soft music began to play and Relena's figure reclined once more.  
  
OK, so performing a massage on Relena wasn't in the original mission parameters, but nor was beating the crap out of Jon Paul. Heero had changed the specifications once, he could do so again. Smirking slightly, he removed his gloves and was a little disturbed to see that his hands were shaking. He clenched and released them several times before walking around the screen to where his princess lay. He did not look at her, instead he perused the selection of oils that Jon Paul had brought along with him.  
  
Heero had not exaggerated to Duo; he had been trained in the art of massage. It had been one of the many lessons he had learned under the tutelage of Dr J, although it was by no means his favourite; probably because he had had to practice his massage technique on the scrawny doctor. However, he was one hundred percent sure that Relena's skin promised to be infinitely more pleasurable to touch.  
  
Selecting an oil, he poured a small amount into his hands. Rubbing his hands together he attempted to raise the temperature of them, conscious that they were still shaking a little. And then he turned to Relena. She had relaxed upon the bed as Jon Paul had originally instructed. Her arms were above her head, her face was down positioned in the in the space the bed provided. Her hair was loose, put pulled up to one side off her back and it tumbled over the side of the couch like a golden waterfall. Her back was bare, the faintest of red lines showing where her bra had been just minutes before. Over her bottom was draped a towel, its placement a little haphazard. It tilted alarmingly on one side revealing more than a little of her shapely hip.  
  
Swallowing yet again, he reached out a shaking hand and gently tweaked the towel up so that it was covering her a little better. In the process he could not help but see that she was most definitely not wearing any underwear. He was debating with himself whether or not he should give up on the mission and simply berate her for being in such a vulnerable position, when she began to lift her head again.  
  
"Jon Paul?"  
  
Her voice was questioning and puzzled, her head was lifting and soon she would tilt it towards him and discover that she was not alone in her room with her masseur. Once again Heero's warrior instincts took over and he placed his hands on her back pushing her gently down again before starting to stroke the soft skin of her back with some massage oil.  
  
She reclined with little resistance, a small sigh coming from her lips as he began to caress her. Her muscles were tense, becoming even tenser as he began the strokes and he realised that she was uncomfortable at being touched by Jon Paul. He felt himself smirk a little at this until he smelt the oil that had been prepared for the massage. Sniffing it he detected rose, ylang ylang and sandalwood. He frowned. If his memory did not fail him (and it very rarely did) those scents combined were supposed to stimulate a person sensually. He glanced back over to the bed where Jon Paul lay. A multitude of new punishments flashed through Heero's mind; somehow a good beating no longer seemed enough.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
Relena protested as Heero in his contemplation of Jon Paul pushed a little too hard on her back. Heero instantly focused on the woman in front of him and lightened his strokes, frowning at the thought that he could have hurt her. She started to relax as the pressure he exerted on her lightened to feather soft strokes, working down her spine, along the top of her buttocks, up the side of her back to her shoulders. Heero repeated the motion again and again, increasing the pressure little by little, fascinated by the way her pale skin became tinged pink under the ministrations of his fingers.  
  
The more he worked, the more relaxed she became. He could feel her almost melting under his fingers, her breathing becoming deeper, her pulse rate lowering as she was hypnotised by his touch.  
  
He, however, was getting more and more tense. He was becoming acutely aware that Relena was lying before him, more or less naked, accepting him touching her in a way more intimate than he had ever experience with her before. It was as if her tension was siphoning into him though his fingers; as her pulse rate decreased, his increased. As her breathing became calm, his became rapid.  
  
Deciding that he needed to get this massage over as soon as he possibly could, he started petrissage. Kneading the muscles of her shoulder he located knots into which he pressed his thumbs, encouraging them to smooth out. He made a mental note to investigate how her chair was positioned in relation to her desk; some adjustments to chair height could prevent a lot of her muscle cramps.  
  
"Thats a little hard," Relena murmured sleepily.  
  
Heero grunted and instantly Relena stiffened under his touch. Heero flushed, and turned the grunt into a cough whilst alleviating the pressure of his thumb slightly. For a moment he felt an unusual sense of panic and wondered whether Relena had realised that he was not Jon Paul. But then she relaxed again and Heero continued to knead her shoulders.  
  
He watched his fingers move upon her skin, almost mesmerised by the way the oil enabled his hands to glide upon her. Her skin was rosy now from the increased circulation of blood, and the stiffness in her muscle tissue had almost been eased away from her shoulders. He allowed his hands to move further down her back, kneading either side of her spine gradually making his way to the swell of her hips.  
  
She sighed a little as his strokes touched the gentle curve of her buttocks and she shifted slightly as if seeking him to touch her there again. Heero wanted nothing more than to oblige, but with great self-restraint forced his fingers to move up her back once more. Resting his hands against her shoulders, he paused trying to clear his head of the heady perfume of the oil, before he allowed his hands to travel up one of her relaxed arms.  
  
Heero moved his fingers over her lax hand, applying short bursts of pressure to the joints of her fingers, watching how small her hand was compared with his. Small, but strong hands. Hands that had saved him, probably more times than he knew. Hands that he longed to have touch him.  
  
He frowned again irritated by his lack of constraint and released her hand gently so that it lay beside her head before moving his hands to her other arm. At that moment in time he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in her hair, to breathe in her wonderful scent, to touch her even more intimately than he had done so far. But she didn't know that it was him that was touching her, stroking her skin until it glowed. She wasn't aroused by their proximity to each other as he was; afterall as far as she was concerned the masseur was Jon Paul. Heero scowled. And she had better not be aroused by the thought of Jon Paul working on her body.  
  
Heero looked down at her longingly as he finished manipulating the joints of her other hand and set it down by her head. Again he resisted the urge to lean forward and plant kisses down her spine and he knew he had to get out of there before the desire to touch her even more overwhelmed him. Reaching for a large white towel, her placed it over her body to keep her warm, signalling the end of the massage. Her breathing was so regular and peaceful he thought that she had gone to sleep.  
  
As he moved away, her head tilted to the side a little and her hand reached out, clasping hold of his own.  
  
"Where are you going Heero?" she asked.  
  
Heero froze and turned his head to look at her once again. She had lifted her head, propping her upper body up with her free hand, and was looking at him over her shoulder, her face serene, her eyes glowing as he had never seen them glow before. He lowered his eyes, unable to withstand the intensive expression in her eyes and found himself staring at the rounded curves of her breasts; the towel that he had so carefully placed over her shoulders had slipped to her waist. Flushing, he quickly raised his eyes again to look at her face once more.  
  
"Why are you leaving?" Relena asked once again, her mouth pulling into a small smile as if encouraging him to speak.  
  
She seemed unfazed to have discovered her head of security had been touching her so intimately and Heero felt a flicker of suspicion. Had she known all the time that it was him in the room and not Jon Paul? He narrowed his eyes and glared at her attempting to pull his hand from her grasp; but she held on to him firmly. She tilted her head to one side, still gazing at him with her calm kind eyes. Heero bowed his head, studying her small hand that held on to him so tightly.  
  
"How long did you know it was me?" Heero asked quietly.  
  
"From the moment that you said 'hnnn'" Relena replied, amusement colouring her voice.  
  
"Why didn't you say anything?" Heero questioned again.  
  
Relena gave his hand a slight squeeze before letting go. He looked at her observing her pushing herself up into a sitting position, pulling the towel around her to protect her modesty. She blushed a little at his gaze, but did not turn away.  
  
" Because I enjoyed that it was you giving me a massage. I don't know why or how you replaced Jon Paul, but I am happy that you did," she said watching him closely. "I like you touching me Heero. I wish that you would touch me more often." She reached forward grasping his hand whilst the other held the towel over her nude front.  
  
Heero felt heat rise in his groin at her words, and could not help but swallow. She looked so desirable sitting before him, her feet swinging slightly over the edge of the couch, her blond hair tumbling over her shoulders, her eyes bright and sincere.  
  
"You are just saying that because the massage has stimulated your parasympathetic nervous system and released endorphins into your body," Heero said, trying to free his hand from hers unsettled by the way her thumb was trailing patterns on the back of his hand.  
  
"Heero," Relena said patiently, "I liked being massaged by Margaret. I am sure I would have liked being massaged by Jon Paul. But I loved the way you touched me."  
  
Heero could not help himself. He stumbled closer to her and pulled her pliant willing body into a tight embrace, burying his face into her neck. His words when he managed to speak were muffled, unwilling as he was to move one centimetre away from her.  
  
"Can I touch you again?" he asked, his hands shaking slightly as he felt the bare skin of her back once more under his fingers.  
  
Relena's reply was a groan filled with longing and anticipation.  
  
"Please," she murmured.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Duo was sitting at his desk twirling a pencil in his fingers with a happy expression on his face when Heero entered their shared office. He grinned at Heero and nodded towards a bottle shaped package that sat in the middle of Heero's empty desk.  
  
"For you pal," he said, "A congratulatory gift for doing what I couldn't do, no matter how hard I tried."  
  
Heero froze in his tracks his face turning a little red before he turned to glare at Duo.  
  
"And just what you couldn't do?" he grated, his fists clenching at the thought of Duo attempting to do anything to his Relena.  
  
Duo, sipping his coffee, was completely oblivious to Heero's threatening gaze. "Jon Paul is no longer available for massages," he said, "Apparently he has, for some reason, decided on a completely new career. Florist I think. Hilde is heart broken," he set down his coffee and wiggled his fingers, "Seems that she will have to put up with these magic fingers from now on." He grinned inanely as he continued to wiggle his fingers in front of his face.  
  
Heero's face lost its red tinge and he walked over to his desk settling himself down into his chair. He gazed at the parcel for a moment or two before reaching across and taking hold of it. Tearing the brightly coloured paper away he saw that it was a bottle of whiskey, well aged and expensive and he smiled appreciatively. It was a very nice reward for a mission that he had taken much pleasure in completing.  
  
Duo's phone rang shrilly, and Duo paused his wiggle finger game to pick it up. He grinned as he said hello, mouthing to Heero that it was Hilde on the phone, before turning slightly in his chair to talk to his partner.  
  
Heero's thoughts, however, were on Relena, reliving the feel of her skin under his fingers, the scent of the oil, the sultry way she had whispered her plea for him to continue to touch her. Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, he glanced at his watch calculating just how long it was before his shift was over and he could be with her again. It was going to be a long day.  
  
Duo fists slamming into his desk brought Heero's attention back to his immediate surroundings. Duo had slammed the phone down and he was scowling at it as if it was an enemy.  
  
"Trouble?" Heero asked automatically, sipping on half cold coffee.  
  
"I have another mission for you," Duo grated out, looking up at Heero. "Apparently Relena has been singing the praises of another masseur and Hilde is keen to try him out."  
  
Heero almost choked on his drink and only with effort did he place the cup firmly down before he could spill the liquid over his pristine uniform.  
  
"Did Hilde happen to mention the name of this masseuse?" Heero asked casually, picking up the bottle of whisky and placing it into his draw before locking it and pocketing the key.  
  
"Apparently Relena wasn't forthcoming with the details, only that he had hands much better than Jon Paul's..." Duo trailed off, his eyes narrowing. He looked at Heero closely as he stood up and pulled on his jacket that was hanging on the back of his chair. "Heero...you didn't?....it wasn't?...did you?"  
  
Heero walked to the door enjoying the way that Duo stumbled over his words as he put two and two together and correctly came to four. He smirked and said casually  
  
"Give Hilde my apologies, but I'm a one woman man," before leaving the room to find Relena; he had promised her a neck massage at lunchtime and even though it was only 10.30, it was close enough as far as he was concerned.  
  
Duo's eyes narrowed as he watched Heero go, before he whistled and grinned. Never again would he underestimate the power of essential oils.  
  
End 


End file.
